Things to Do in Rotorua With Kids

Family highlights at a glance

Animals and wildlife

National Kiwi Hatchery

Inside Rainbow Springs Nature Park, the National Kiwi Hatchery is a working breeding facility that returns chicks to wild populations as part of a national conservation programme. It is one of the few places in New Zealand where kids can reliably see kiwi, which are nocturnal and very hard to spot in the wild.

Wingspan National Bird of Prey Centre

A conservation centre for the kārearea, New Zealand's native falcon, with a breeding programme and live flying displays. Time your visit around the flying display rather than just wandering in, since that is when the birds are active.

Rotorua Agrodome

The Agrodome in Ngongotahā runs a farm show built around sheep, with shearing demonstrations, several breeds on stage and animal encounters. It suits younger kids who might find the geothermal parks too long a walk.

Te Puia

Alongside the geysers and the arts and crafts institute, Te Puia also has kiwi, which makes it a good all-in-one stop for families short on time.

Geysers and bubbling mud

• Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland: about 30 minutes south, with the Champagne Pool, the Artist's Palette and the Lady Knox Geyser, which erupts daily at 10:15am. Arrive early to get a good spot for the eruption.
• Te Puia: home to the Pohutu Geyser, which erupts several times a day, plus the Māori Arts and Crafts Institute where kids can watch carvers and weavers at work.
• Waimangu Volcanic Valley: a mostly downhill walk of 1 to 2 hours past Frying Pan Lake and the pale blue Inferno Crater Lake, manageable for most children.
• Hells Gate: a 2.5km boardwalk loop of about 90 minutes past boiling pools, a mud volcano and the Kakahi Falls hot waterfall.
• Kuirau Park: a free thermal park on the edge of the city centre, where the steaming lake and bubbling mud sit right beside a playground, paddling pools and barbecues.

Geothermal water in these areas can be boiling, so keep children on the marked paths and boardwalks and hold hands near unfenced edges.

Hot pools for families

• Polynesian Spa: on the lakefront, walking distance from the city centre. The Family Pools have a freshwater swimming pool with a small hydroslide for kids, plus mineral pools alongside for parents.
• Waikite Valley Thermal Pools: a range of pools at different temperatures fed by Te Manaroa Spring, so everyone can find a comfortable one.
• Kuirau Park foot baths: free public foot pools next to the playground. Bring a towel.

Free natural pools like Kerosene Creek and Hot 'n' Cold are less suited to young children. Kerosene Creek runs very hot, Hot 'n' Cold has an uneven streambed with sudden deep spots, and neither has toilets or changing rooms. In any natural geothermal pool, keep everyone's head above the water, since untreated thermal water carries a small risk of amoebic meningitis. This matters most with kids who like to duck under.

Adventure activities

• Skyline Rotorua: a gondola up Mt Ngongotaha with a luge track at the top, plus the Sky Swing and a restaurant with lake views. Kids can ride the luge on their own from age 6 and 110cm tall. Children aged 2 to 6, and 85cm to 109cm tall, can ride tandem with an adult.
• Redwoods Treewalk: 28 suspension bridges through the redwood canopy, with a separate lit walk after dark. Suitable for anyone who can walk unaided, and free strollers are available on site.
• Zorb Rotorua: roll downhill inside a giant inflatable ball, dry or with water. Minimum age is 5, with no exceptions.
• Katoa Jet: jet boat rides on Lake Rotorua, with trips out to Mokoia Island. Child fares cover ages 5 to 14, and children from age 2 can ride free with an adult if they fit a lifejacket.
• Rotorua Ziplines: four ziplines over the Kaituna River and Tutea Falls at Okere Falls. From age 5, with anyone under 15 accompanied by a guardian over 18.
• Velocity Valley: the Swoop, the Vertigo freefall and the Shweeb, a pedal-powered monorail track you race around. Best for older kids and teens, and the Shweeb has a minimum height of 1.3m.

Easy family walks and glow worms

• Blue Lake Circuit: an easy lakeside walk around Lake Tikitapu with swimming spots along the way.
• Redwoods Circuit: a 3.4km loop through redwoods and tree ferns, passing a small blue spring.
• Te Auheke Track: a 1.7km loop to the Cascade Falls glow worm dell. Go after dark with a torch, switch it off at the falls, and wait a few minutes for the glow worms to appear.
• Okere Falls Track: 3km return past three waterfalls, with rafters coming over the rapids and a swimming hole partway along. Supervise children closely near the river.
• Lake Ōkāreka Walkway: a flat 5.2km return walk along the lake and through wetlands, easy for young walkers. It is walking only, so leave the bikes, scooters and dogs behind.

Māori cultural evenings for families

• Mitai Māori Village: an evening with a haka performance, a hāngī dinner cooked in an earth oven, and a glow worm stream walk on site. Book ahead, as it fills quickly, and arrive early enough to fit in the glow worm walk.
• Te Pā Tū: storytelling, haka and a hāngī in a forest village setting, usually with bus transport from town.
• Whakarewarewa: a living village where local families still cook with geothermal steam, visited on guided tours during the day.

Free things to do with kids

• Kuirau Park playground, paddling pools and foot baths
• The Kuirau Park Saturday market, 7am to 1pm
• The Rotorua Night Market on Tutanekai Street, Thursdays from 5pm to 9pm, roughly October through February and weather permitting
• Swimming and walking at Blue Lake
• Glow worms on the Te Auheke Track
• Walking or riding in Whakarewarewa Forest

Where to eat with kids

• Lady Janes Ice Cream Parlour: a Rotorua institution since the early 1980s at the lake end of Tutanekai Street, with more than 40 flavours. The Danish cone is the signature order.
• Rotorua Night Market: food trucks with plenty of choice for fussy eaters, shared tables and live music.
• Eat Streat: a covered, pedestrian-only dining strip with heated footpaths, so kids can move around away from traffic.
• Patrick's Pies Gold Star Bakery: an award-winning pie bakery on Old Taupo Road, with outdoor seating and a window to watch the bakers at work.

Family-friendly places to stay

• Arista of Rotorua: a 4.5-star motel on Fenton Street with a fenced playground.
• Blue Lake Top 10 Holiday Park: cabins sleeping 2 to 8 people, across the road from Lake Tikitapu.
• Waikite Valley Thermal Pools Campground: campers get free access to the hot pools for the length of their stay.
• Rotorua Family Holiday Park: a spa pool and playground in Ngongotahā, close to the lake.
• Rydges Rotorua: a geothermally heated pool, two spa pools and a kids' Play Zone open weekends and school holidays. Rydges runs a Kids Stay and Eat Free offer across the chain, so check whether it applies to your dates when you book.

A sample family day

Arrive at Waiotapu before 10:15am for the Lady Knox Geyser, then head back to town for lunch and a play at Kuirau Park. Spend the afternoon at the National Kiwi Hatchery or on the Redwoods Treewalk, and finish with an evening at Mitai Māori Village for the hāngī and glow worms.